This semester I am finishing my internship (the two extensions from last semester), Firearms, Modern Disasters, CPR for Health Care Providers, Forensic Pathology: Advanced Death Investigations, and Advanced Photoshop. Sounds like a fun semester to me.

My knee surgery is scheduled for Jan 29, at something crazy like 6am……..

When I was younger, my grandma would make the absolute best snack. And, for several weeks now I’ve been wanting some, but I won’t be at her house until April… So today I made some myself, and it is just as wonderful as I remembered.

2 sticks real butter

1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

1 c. peanut butter

3 c. powdered sugar

1 reg. box Rice Chex cereal

Melt together first 3 ingredients and pour over Rice Chex into large bowl; stir (without mashing) until coated. Sift powdered sugar onto the chocolate coated mix and continue to stir until all the powdered sugar is mixed in.

I love swimming. In an outdoor. At night. In January. And yes, I’m serious.

My mom and I are members at a local sports club which has a large outdoor saltwater pool. In the winter, they put this huge bubble-tarp over the pool. Its neat any time, but especially fun at night. The only lighting comes from two underwater lights at opposite ends of the pool. The pool is also heated during the winter, so the whole bubble fills with mist – thick enough that when combined with the limited lighting, you can’t see across the pool. its a little spooky, but so much fun!

Growing up, my three closest friends and I were collectivelly known as the Fearsome Foursome. Well, as times change, only two of us are still living in our home town (though strangely enough, 3/4ths of us have family in the Twin Cities – that would be Minnesota). One has ended up at UW-Madison and the other at Lewis and Clark College.

Anyway, three of us (plus families) are having a christmas/hanukkah party (the fourth is in Minnesota this week…). If past christmas/hanukkah parties are anything to judge by, it should be really fun.

Tracking Santa starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system consists of 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. On Christmas Eve, NORAD monitors the radar continuously for indications that Santa Claus has left the North Pole.

The moment that radar indicates Santa has lifted off, we use our second detection system. Satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles from the Earth’s surface are equipped with infrared sensors which enable them to detect heat. Amazingly, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature which allow our satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa.

The third tracking system is the Santa Cam network. We began using it in 1998, which is the year we put our Santa Tracking program on the internet. Santa Cams are ultra-cool, high-tech, high-speed digital cameras that are pre-positioned at many locations around the world. NORAD only uses these cameras once a year on Christmas Eve. The cameras capture images and videos of Santa and his reindeer as they make their journey around the world.

The fourth system is made up of fighter jets. Canadian NORAD fighter pilots flying the CF-18 intercept and welcome Santa to North America. In the United States, American NORAD fighter pilots in either the F-15 or the F-16 get the thrill of flying alongside Santa and his famous reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and, of course, Rudolph.

That, from their website.

Anyway, its fun, so check out their website. The first sighting is expected in about 18 hours.

Today (or tomorrow, depending on when I turn in the last few assignments) is the last day of the semester (thank goodness!). Three of my classes are completely done, and the two online classes are just about done too. Overall, this semester has been fine. A little boring, really easy, but all necessary for graduation.
Anyway, but school has this wonderfully excessive winter break. December 12 through January 21. Yay! 6 wonderful weeks where I don’t have to write papers or do quizes, or anything! Though… why the semester begins on a Wednesday is beyond me…
Plus, its supposed to snow this weekend! Yay!